The Mistress of Time
by Crystalstar1001
Summary: The Master of Time has found a partner. And she's the last person you'd suspect. The new girl must journey back to Amity Park to save the town so full of dark memories for her. But only one person is able to keep her determination alive: her sixteen-year-old cousin. Now she must prove, to both others and herself, that she really is the Mistress of Time. DISCONTINUED
1. Prologue

_Hello everyone! My name is Cherry...and I'm new to fanfiction, still trying to figure it out. I am working on this lovely Danny Phantom fanfic and I decided to share it with you all. I really hope you like it. _

_**DISCLAIMER: **__I don't own Danny Phantom. The lovely cover was created by my good friend Losteh, who can be found at .com if you would like to give her my compliments. XD_

**Prologue**

The Earth froze. The world simply…stopped. Time itself seemed to stand still…with the exception of one fourteen-year-old girl, who was hiding in a dark, littered alley.

She was short, her raven-black hair pulled into a ponytail, besides the bangs that draped over her face. She had sky-blue eyes. The girl was dressed in a dark blue sweatshirt and red-orange pants, with blue and white sneakers to match.

Appearing only partway shocked at the sudden halt of everything around her, the girl wandered onto the sidewalk. With the sun striking her lean figure, she looked quite intimidating; definitely someone you wouldn't want to cross. She stared at her hands as if contemplating something, and slowly, a quiet smile curved her lips.

Meanwhile, there was a single place the feeling of frozen time didn't reach. It was a lonely tower in the Ghost Dimension; one that was surrounded by gears that were big, small, and everything in between. Inside the large doors, a figure in purple robes floated quite calmly, watching the girl through a TV screen, of sorts. The shape held a staff topped with a clock, and several watches of all shapes and sizes adorned its wrist.

Suddenly, two figures in white and gold robes, topped with a single green eye each, appeared behind the being.

"Clockwork, action must be taken," the first of the two spoke with authority, perfectly and completely sure of his words.

"So you've seen," the purple robed character said in a man's voice. It was low, calm, and knowing; full of long-lost wisdom. As he turned, his long, middle-aged look turned to that of a child, and his face could now be seen to be blue. His eyes were red and there was a scar over one. He did not seem unsettled in the least by the eye-creatures' sudden appearance.

"The girl has time powers. We simply can't leave her out there," the second eye-creature replied with a stiff nod.

"Yes," the one called Clockwork agreed softly. "But I urge you to give her time. She is just getting to know her new talents, and rushing her here will do nothing but delay her progress."

"You mean to allow her to keep these abilities?" The first eye-creature questioned, an air of range in his voice.

"Of course," Clockwork responded. "Why waste such marvelous powers that come along only once in a millennium?" He shot a pointed look at the robed creatures.

"She is fourteen—"

"—and has proven herself capable on several occasions. I know what I'm doing." As he spoke, Clockwork's image changed to that of an old man with a long white beard, but he still bore the same unidentifiable expression.

"Clockwork, I'm not sure this is wise."

"Trust me. I have plans for her, and she has a destiny to fulfill."

"You can't just meddle like this. It's against the rules," the second creature pointed out, sounding irritated at this point at Clockwork's refusals. "Allowing her to harness these skills will alter the timeline!"

"That's the problem with you," Clockwork said quietly. "You watch, but never act. That's where I come in. If I hadn't 'interfered' in the past, there would have been dreadful consequences." Before the eye-creatures could protest, he held up a hand. "Now, seeing as I leave you to do your work in peace… please allow me to do mine in peace."

The eye-creatures glanced at each other, obviously debating whether or not to argue, and vanished, leaving Clockwork alone. He gazed at the confident figure of the raven-haired girl in front of him, smiling slightly, something very rare for him.

"Who would've guessed that she was the one?" he murmured to himself. "No better time than the present, then…" His appearance changed to its adult form as he observed her curiously. "Let's hope she's ready."

_Sorry for the short prologue..the chapters will be longer, I promise! And I bet you can guess who the girl is...think hard now, my friends. I will see you when it's time for the next chapter. I hope you enjoyed the first part of my story!_

_~Cherry_


	2. A Simple Predicament

_Hey guys! I hope the wait for Chapter 1 wasn't too big...in fact, it was probably less than most stories here on fanfiction, I must say._

_I knew at the beginning of this chapter where I wanted it to begin, and where I wanted chapter 2 to begin. I had no idea what I was going to put in the middle. So I improvised. I might have stole a few ideas from RaeSoul's "Time Master's Apprentice", but I was going blank a bit. So please read his story too so I don't feel bad._

_The cover was done by my friend Losteh, who can be found at .com (remove the space). Please go give her your compliments!_

_Enough talk. Let's see what happens..._

**_Six Months Later_**

"You wanted to see me?"

Clockwork turned as a ghost in a black cloak flew toward him from an open doorway. Green eyes gleamed in the half-light across the open space at him, and the next moment, the ghost had landed beside him.

"Ah, yes, dear girl. I require a service of you."

The ghost casually threw back its hood, revealing a girl with white hair pulled into its usual ponytail. Her green eyes glowed sharply as ever as she looked up at him.

"What is it, Clock?" she asked, as if she were talking to someone she'd known for years. Her voice was slightly playful.

"There is trouble in the human world," Clockwork answered carefully. "I'd like you to take care of it for me so that it doesn't disrupt the time stream."

"Where?" questioned the girl, floating up until her eyes were level with the Time Master's. Unmistakable curiosity shone in them.

"Amity Park."

The glimmering green eyes widened in shock and she took a step back in mid-air. This involuntary movement was not missed by Clockwork, who examined her in slight concern.

"You do not have to if you don't want to. However, I advise you to think about it." His tone was gentle; one he gave only to certain people.

The girl shook her head, trying to clear it of its dark thoughts. "No, of course I will go. What's the trouble, exactly?"

"You will find out soon enough," the time-ghost answered quietly. "But I must warn you, it could be a long job, my girl. You might have to be there for more than half a year."

"I'll be okay," the girl insisted, and those green eyes met the red ones staring back at her. "Trust me."

Clockwork smiled as he recalled saying the same two words to the Observants six months ago, to be able to get the girl here in the first place. "Alright. I'll get you a place to stay until you get the task done. I'm afraid I cannot tell you any more…forgive me."

The girl smirked. "I've done things with less to go on," she reminded him.

"And so you have. Maybe I am underestimating you." Clockwork considered this point for a moment before turning suddenly serious. "Just remember: you mustn't be seen. If you are, no one must know who you are. Discovery of this mission by outsiders would make the circumstances even more dire."

"You got it, Clock," the girl agreed. She pulled her hood up and prepared to jump through the time-window into Amity Park, when she heard the Time-Master's voice behind her once more.

"Make sure to watch out for the teenagers especially. They can be quite – err – _nosy _these days."

The girl glanced back, her gaze now calmer and more collected. "Don't worry…I have a plan…."

As she jumped into the portal, she heard him murmur, "Good luck, Danielle."

_Danielle's POV_

I felt myself materialize above Amity Park and immediately turned invisible before I could be spotted. My cloak swept around me in the breeze as I stared around at the town.

A few new buildings had been added, and the park appeared to have had some upgrades, but other than that, it was just how I remembered it.

And it was just how I wanted to forget it.

For a split second, dark images flashed before my eyes; memories I would rather not relive. _No._ I can't let them haunt me now. I have a job to do.

A slight weight in my hand made me start. I looked down to find an envelope in my hand. I ripped it open, and some keys, one of Clockwork's Time Medallions, and a note fell out of it. I opened the carefully folded paper.

_Danielle,_

_I have enclosed the keys to your place of residence. Stock it with whatever you need: I've left a credit card on the kitchen counter. Don't worry about money. _

_Also, I have provided a modification to my Time Medallion. It should hide you from any ghost scanners. Good luck._

_C.W._

I placed the medallion around my neck and squinted at the address. 4013 Raven Ave. Still invisible, I flew around, checking street signs, but not risking asking for directions.

After about half an hour, I finally located the house Clockwork had gotten for me. It was an average house; one that reminded me of my cousin's a bit. I phased inside, not finding it necessary to open the door if I didn't want to be seen.

The house closely resembled my cousin's even more on the inside. I even found a lab upon closer investigation that Clockwork had built for me secretly. I made a mental note to thank him later.

With a sigh, I changed back into my human form in a flash of white. Couldn't exactly buy food without being seen, could we? I still took precautions, though: I changed my clothes, pulled a hat over my head, and made sure my face was not distinguishable. Only then did I finally step out into the sunlight and head towards where I knew a grocery store still stood from my first look at Amity.

It was a beautiful day: the sun shone brightly and there were a few wisps of white drifting across the canvas of baby blue. I sighed happily. For a few moments I forget where I was and what I was doing until I reached the store some five minutes later.

I slipped inside, looking down so as to shadow my features. Fingering Clockwork's credit card, I snatched up a little basket and whisked down the aisles, trying not to take too long.

Within an hour I had collected enough for the whole week, paid, and was about to duck into an alley to Go Ghost in order to more efficiently get back and carry food at the same time. Then a voice spoke behind me; it seemed vaguely familiar, yet I could not place an identity to it.

"Excuse me, miss?"

I turned around, surprise pulsing through my veins, which only increased when I saw the face of the speaker.

It was Valerie.

_I came up with that ending at the very last minute. I wanted her to meet someone she knew at the store, but I thought Danny or Vlad would know her well enough to see through her immediately. And Valerie only saw her as a human once, so she seemed the perfect fit for the part._

_So yes, Danielle is the girl from the prologue. I bet you all guessed that much. And the eye-creatures were the Observants. I hope the talk with Clockwork was okay, I wanted to make it seem as if Danielle was comfortable with Clockwork at that point and considered him a friend already._

_I don't know when the next chapter will be up, but the best estimate is next weekend or halfway through the week after that. I will try my best to get it up ASAP (I better get writing!)_

_~Cherry_


	3. A Girl I Once Knew

_That was a rather short wait for a chapter...lucky you. I updated with this short chapter because a friend of mine was impatient~ watch him on Instagram and Kik him at themasteroftime please!_

_Cover by my good friend Losteh, who can be found at rainstarlightsky. deviantart. com if you'd like her give her some love._

_Now, let's see what happens..._

_Danielle's POV_

The ghost-huntress smiled, looking slightly embarrassed. "I was wondering if you'd seen a boy with black hair and blue eyes. Maybe wearing jeans and a red-and-white shirt?"

_Is she talking about Danny? _I shoved my shock away and hoped that she wouldn't recognize my voice as I replied, "I'm sorry, I don't believe I have."

Disappointment found its way onto her face. "Oh, okay. Sorry for troubling you." She eyed my numerous bags. "Need any help with those?"

I scowled in my head. It would be rude and suspicious to decline her offer. "That would be kind of you."

Valerie grabbed at least half of the groceries from my hands, holding them with surprising strength. "Lead the way."

Knowing I couldn't Go Ghost now, I began to walk back to the house.

"What's your name?" Valerie asked with an air of light conversation. "I'm Valerie Grey."

"Danielle," I responded, then immediately regretted it. What if she told Danny? I would be in trouble then.

But Valerie only smiled. "Nice to meet you, Danielle. I was looking for a friend of mine…Danny Fenton."

"He sounds a lot like my cousin." _Drat._ I was speaking without thinking. If Valerie so much as saw my face…

"There's something different about Danny, though." Valerie looked thoughtful. "Have you heard the story of the ghost boy who defends Amity Park?"

"Yeah. Danny Phantom, right?"

"Yep. We learned about half a year ago that they were one and the same." Valerie sighed. "And to think, I'd been mad at the ghost boy for years for ruining my life…but to find out it was all accident? I've felt bad for a long six months."

I didn't know how to respond, so I simply kept walking.

"I remember a time right before we found out," the huntress continued. "He had a little cousin who was half-ghost too. I captured her believing she was evil, but he finally convinced me to rescue her. Sweet girl, she was. I haven't seen her since." There was a trace of longing in her voice. "Now that I think about it, your voice sounds a lot like…" she trailed off, halting suddenly and staring at me with wide eyes.

"Well, thanks for the help, Valerie," I stammered quickly, taking my bags from her and hurrying as fast as I could around the corner without looking suspicious. When I looked back, Valerie had her phone out and was wildly pressing the buttons.

_Great_. I'm not so stupid to think she wouldn't have put two and two together. Cursing under my breath, I hurried into my house, thankful she didn't know where I lived and hadn't followed me the whole way. If that was Danny she was trying to reach…Clockwork was going to get me for this one. I'd definitely have to be more careful next time.

_Third Person_

Valerie whipped out her phone as Danielle vanished around the corner. The girl did, in fact, have the exact same voice as Danny's cousin! And the face…she'd gotten a glimpse of it when the girl had dashed around the building. It had seemed to be hers.

"Hello?" an impatient male gumbled on the other end of the line.

"Danny? It's Valerie."

"Hey, Val! What's up?" The voice had gone from annoyed to pleasantly surprised.

"You'll never guess who I just saw…"

_This chapter is very short, yes, I know, but I really wanted to end it there. So Valerie knows...or she thinks she does. And now Danny will know too. I know you all have waited for him to enter the story. I am plotting how Clockwork will react...and on a friend's request (themasteroftime), a flashback to what happened in those six months in the past chapter. The next chapter will be longer._

_ If you have any ideas, please post a review or PM me if there is anything you would like to see in the story. I am open for suggestions._

_Oh, and my Instagram is dani_phantom_halfa, same with Kik._

_~Cherry_


	4. Past Possibilities

_You guys are soooooo lucky I update often. Some of my favorites don't updates for weeks and weeks! Apparently I have nothing better to do .-._

_So here's chapter 3, hopefully a little longer than 2. I mixed in a few previous ideas I'd had with a suggestion that my friend in Real Life had made, so it didn't turn out exactly as I planned, but oh well._

_Cover by my wonderful friend Losteh. You can find her at rainstarlightsky. deviantart. com (remove spaces!) if you want to give her some love~_

_Danielle's POV_

For the next two hours, I consistently glanced out my window as I organized the house how I preferred it. Every time I saw a flash of red I thought it would be Valerie hunting me down. I was a complete wreck.

I hadn't managed to contact Clockwork, but I figured he would have something to say to me anyway and would just create a portal here to lecture me on the importance of staying undercover. The fact that this hadn't happened yet made me all the more nervous. The only thought that comforted me is that Clockwork always, as he said it, "interfered" when something was wrong. That meant "Everything's how it's supposed to be."

I jumped at every little noise in the house, expecting Danny to phase in and demand what's going on, like old times. I told myself over and over that Valerie may not have been calling Danny and that she didn't know where I was in the first place. I haven't noticed before now how paranoid I can be.

To distract myself, I tried to focus on the task at hand. Clockwork had given me no clue as to where to start, what this evil was, or why Danny couldn't deal with it alone. I had an unexplained fear that he would be dragged into this at some point, being the hero of Amity and all. The fear that I was just there to step in and make sure things go well.

_Clockwork wouldn't do that to you._

No matter how many times I tried to reassure myself, the thoughts kept coming back. What's worse, they were amplified by my old haunts.

_"You exist to serve me! JUST DO IT!"_

_"He's using you! You're nothing but a mess he's not going to clean up."_

Vlad and Danny's voices echoed through my head every time I thought of the mission and Clockwork's lack of description. The possibility, however far-fetched, wouldn't leave me alone. Clockwork had his reasons. All his plans came out good in the end: I just had to remember that.

I was just relaxing onto my bed to read some old ghost-fighting notes I had stolen from Vlad's library, "How to see through a ghost's disguise: fool-proof ways to detect ghosts," when I felt a jolt at the back of my mind. It was a sudden surge of emotion-one that felt both confused, angry, and hurt-and then it was gone as easily as it had come.

_What the heck was that?_

_Danny's POV_

I pressed the End Call button on my phone, and it fell limply onto my bed. It was impossible. How could my little cousin be here, in Amity Park? She had left town a long 8 months ago after Vlad tried to melt her. I hadn't seen or heard from her since. And I knew for a fact I would be the very first person she would contact when back in town.

A haze of confusion clouded my thoughts as I paced the room. Danielle would never ditch Valerie like that: not after what she'd done for her. If I knew her, she would have been very happy to see Valerie…but from what Val had said, Dani had been acting incredibly jumpy and nervous.

Next, anger crashed over me. Why would Dani purposefully avoid us? Avoid Valerie, the very girl who had helped saved her life? Avoid _me_…?

Hurt swept on me like a wave. Danielle didn't want to be around me. She didn't want me to know she was back. That didn't sound like the energetic, enthusiastic, talkative Danielle I remembered.

_Someone must've changed her…_

_Danielle's POV_

I could barely identify the four words that flashed through my head before they vanished. But all I could remember was the brief second of unexplained emotions and "changed her…"

This in itself was baffling. I shook my head. My stressed and tired mind must be making things up. I was, after all, exhausted.

I fell back into my bed, still in my day clothes. Dreary and starting to drift off, my thoughts landed on Clockwork.

I'd show him what the trainee of the Master of Time could really do.

_Sorry for the incredibly boring chapter, but there was too much action happening at once and I needed to slow it down. _

_So Danielle's haunts are influencing her emotions again, and Danny is confused at her motives. Most of you are going to ask me what this random mind flash thing is, but alas, I will not tell you. That would ruin part of the story later._

_ themasteroftime, yes, the flashback will be soon enough, so do not pester me._

_ dannyphantomfangirl, I know how much you love cliffies, so here you go. :p_

_I will update again ASAP! Thanks for staying with the story thus far._

_~Cherry_


	5. Trying to Hide

_I can not tell you how lucky y'all are that I upload so often; that I am so dedicated to this story. You have noooooo idea._

_So this chapter has more excitement in it to make up for Chapter 3 as well as the upcoming Chapter 5, which will be just as dull, unfortunately._

_Cover and Title of this Chapter by my wonderful friend Losteh. You can find her at rainstarlightsky. deviantart. com (remove the spaces!) if you want to give her your compliments._

_Please enjoy~_

_Danielle's POV_

Following yesterday's events, I stayed holed up in the house, all my ghost-fighting notes (some stolen from Vlad, others given to me by Danny, a majority my own or Clockwork's) spread out on the kitchen table in front of me. Who was this evil? Where were they hiding? Everything was jumbled in my brain. I couldn't make heads or tails of any possibility that popped into it.

Frustration threatened to overwhelm me again, but then a curious memory drifted back to me…

_I pulled my hood up and prepared to jump through the time-window into Amity Park, when I heard the Time-Master's voice behind me once more._

_ "Make sure to watch out for the teenagers especially. They can be quite – err – __**nosy**__ these days."_

I sat bolt upright. That wasn't something Clockwork would just _say_. He wasn't a worrier. It didn't have anything to do with a thing he'd told me before. It had to have meaning.

Was the evil a teen in Amity? Or did they have something to do with it?

I dashed to my room, Going Ghost as I went. I yanked my time cloak over me and shoved the hood back over my head. Scrambling to clean up my notes should this house be discovered (still very unlikely, but I had to be safe), I finally phased, invisible, out of the place and into the mid-day sky.

I glanced over at the large clock tower that stood over Amity Park. It was noon: Casper High would be at lunch right now.

Wrapping my cloak tighter around my ghost form, I sped off in the direction of the school. I'd been there only once before when I still worked for Vlad, but I could vaguely remember the general location. Soon enough, I spotted the building up ahead and slowed down, causing the cloak to whip at my feet.

Remembering the incident with Valerie, I reminded myself to be careful and not to be seen, or Clockwork really _would_ get me for it. With this in mind, I quietly phased into the cafeteria.

It was incredibly loud and full of bustle. I noted a group of jocks in the center of the room, the blonde one in particular. The name Dash came to my mind: Danny must've said it once.

I flew silently above their heads, keeping my ears open for anything sounding remotely suspicious. The jocks were bullies for sure, but not really destroy-a-town evil. Out of the blue, one voice stood out to me among all the others.

"…and she just took off, Val said!"

My stomach did a summersault. Danny and his two friends were seated at a table a few yards away.

"Is she sure that is was your cousin, Danny?" The Goth girl asked thoughtfully. "There must be a lot of girls that look like her."

Danny, looking thoroughly downcast, put his face in his hands. "I don't know. From Valerie's description, it sounded pretty straight on."

"Danny…don't get down because of this," the girl soothed. "You haven't seen Danielle for months. You don't know where she's been or what she's like now. Don't let her mess you up."

"Yeah, remember she used to work for Vlad," the other boy added. He was promptly punched in the arm by the Goth.

Danny gave his friend a glare. "Thanks, Tuck. That helps a _ton_."

Then a lot of things happened in a quick succession.

I felt a chill, almost unbearable cold, creep up my spine. At the same moment, Danny's ghost sense went off. Mine had gone off when I was near Danny, but not since… and my ghost sense had become keener in my years in the Ghost Zone. Therefore, it was close to impossible there were any other ghosts here. That left one possibility.

He had sensed _me._

"Oh great," Danny growled under his breath. "Just what I need is a ghost attack right now. Swell."

"So, uh, where's the ghost?" the techno-geek asked.

He was right. No ghosts were attacking, no people were screaming. My fear continued to mount to an outrageous level as I watched the trio, holding my breath.

Suddenly, very quickly, Danny's head snapped up and stared directly at where I was floating, as if he could see me… but his expression mirrored my own. I took a step back in mid-air, my hand coming up to shield my face from view out of instinct (as if that would help anyway). His hand did the same. My thoughts reeling, I moved my hand into a sort of wave. Danny's copied it, as if he was only my reflection. My palm dropped to my side, as did his. We looked into each other's eyes for a split second longer before he finally managed tore his gaze away.

"Danny?! What happened?" the girl asked, looking slightly hysterical. This odd event had evidently not gone unnoticed.

"I…don't know. I just felt this wave of fear…like, totally out of the blue. And I can't remember anything for the last 30 seconds." Danny closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead.

"Were you overshadowed?"

"I don't think so. I'd be able to resist being overshadowed since I'm a Halfa. At the very least I'd _know_ I was overshadowed." He opened his eyes again and his pupils raked the air where I was floating.

I was slowly backing away from them, trying to calm myself down and get out of here before any more damage was done, but accidentally hit one of the cafeteria lights. It swayed slightly. On top of that, Danny had seen it. Just my luck. I cursed under my breath and floated a bit lower.

"I'll be right back," Danny hissed to his two friends before bolting out the doors.

I didn't hesitate. I zipped off as fast as I could go, phasing through the wall and zooming into the sky, heading as fast as I could for home. I hadn't gone 3 blocks when my ghost sense activated, causing me to shiver. A single glance behind me told me all I needed to know. I tried to go faster; maybe outrun it, but a blur of white and black darted around me and cut me off, blocking my escape route.

"Dani?!"

_Aha! Caught you off guard there, didn't I? -evil face- _

_I had a TON of trouble with that cafeteria scene, so I hope you appreciate it. So yeah, more crazy mind stuff...but it all leads up to something, I promise. I plan to make Danielle use her time powers sometime soon as well, because I feel it's been absent too long._

_themasteroftime, your flashback is coming up next chapter, so don't pester me anymore._

_Until the next chapter, my good readers! Thanks for sticking with me!_

_~Cherry_


	6. As If It Were Yesterday

_Hello again! I'm terribly sorry for the nine day wait... themasteroftime's flashback was harder to write than I thought, and I had to get Danielle's explanation to Danny just right. It's still got flaws, but I feel you've waited long enough._

_Cover by my good friend Losteh, who can be found at rainstarlightsky. deviantart. com (remove the spaces!) if you want to give her your compliments._

_Danielle's POV_

For a long moment that seemed like a century we floated there, just staring into each other's eyes. My instincts were telling me to run, fly, get away from him before he discovers too much. My heart, however, cried out to stay, stay and confide in him. I hovered, torn between them, completely unsure of what to do.

Danny looked uncertain to if he should corner me like a normal ghost or embrace me like a sister. He was obviously trying to place my motives by my facial expression. It didn't seem to work, so he finally whispered, "Danielle?"

I jerked myself out of my thoughts and conflicted emotions and breathed, "Danny."

"What are you doing here? What's going on?" The questions tumbled out of his mouth before he could stop himself. He covered it in horror, but I simply smiled weakly.

"Not now. Meet me at 4013 Raven Ave. after school today and I'll explain. Bring your two friends."

Danny opened his mouth to argue, but thought better of it. He nodded curtly and flew back to the High School, glancing over his shoulder every so often. I stayed floating there, cloak flapping in the breeze, until finally he turned intangible and vanished back inside.

_3 ½ hours later…_

I waited anxiously for Danny to arrive, fingering my modified medallion Clockwork had given me. Why hadn't I been lectured yet? I couldn't possibly guess. If it'd been me who'd given someone a dangerous task and they let someone else know about it when I'd specifically stated not to, I'd rant to them at first chance. Clockwork's absence just seemed…odd. It worried me the more I thought about it.

I was snapped out of my woes by the doorbell, which I realized I hadn't ever heard before. At supernatural speed I reached the front door and peeked nervously through the peephole. Danny stood there, flanked by the Goth and the techno-geek, all three looking more anxious then _I _was. I opened the door a crack, allowing my ice-blue eyes to be visible in the fraction of an inch that was permitted.

"Come inside, hurry," I hissed softly, backing away to let them cautiously enter.

I shut the door with a quiet snap and turned to face the trio. My black bangs draped over my eyes, I realized I must look significantly different than our last meeting eight months or so ago.

"This way," I whispered, slipping around the corner into the living room. The couches hadn't been touched in the time I'd occupied the home, and my guests sank onto them gratefully. I plopped onto the sofa-chair alone and watched them in silence. This stretched on for some long moments before the girl spoke.

"Well?"

I brushed my hair out of my face and looked her in the eye. "Ask away. I know you're dying to… no pun intended," I added when I saw Danny's expression.

I gazed expectantly at her for a few seconds, but it was Danny's voice that spoke next. "Where have you been? What's happened?"

Memories began to flow back to me at these questions. I smiled weakly. "It will take awhile to explain, but I will if you have such time."

"My parents don't expect us home until nine," Danny replied. "Please tell."

"Okay," I sighed. My eyes clouded as I immersed myself in the past. "It was six months ago…"

_The world was still around me. I walked up to a friendly-looking woman and waved my hand in front of her eyes. Nothing. I stared down at my hands, which, moments before, had been glowing bluish-purple. Had I done it at last? Had I finally stopped time?_

_A sudden hardness slammed over me so fast it caught me off guard: I couldn't move. Somehow my mind noted that I could still think and move my eyes. I was partway trapped in the frozen time-flow. _

_Then something odd happened. Odder than what had already happened, I mean. _

_Two arrows, looking amazingly similar to the hands on a clock, appeared before me. One of them spun around in a perfect circle once, creating a dazzling baby blue portal. A figure appeared in shadow as the portal closed up behind it._

_It was a ghost, no doubt, but it still didn't have the same haunting aura as the rest. This ghost wore a purple cloak emblazoned with gears. Watches smothered his wrists. Something similar to the body of an old grandfather clock made up his stomach area. He held a scepter with a tiny analog clock on the tip, with several small buttons covering its sides. I couldn't see his face, for it was hidden by his hood. He looked to be about two hundred years old. Just as I made this observation, his form changed to that of a child, and I would have squeaked in surprise had I not been half-frozen by time._

_The ghost held up a necklace with a heavy charm on it: a gear labeled CW, attached to a long black ribbon. He drifted towards me, holding it out. I struggled internally between fear and curiosity. What was going on?_

_The charm slipped around my neck._

_Suddenly, I could move freely again. I stumbled backward, putting a few paces between myself and the ghost, but never taking my eyes off him. To my surprise and slight annoyance, he chuckled._

_"Relax, child. I am here to take you home."_

_"Home? Who are you? Do you work for Vlad?" I growled, pulling myself into a defensive stance._

_"I do not work for Vlad, and I doubt I ever will. He is currently roaming space with no home on Earth. As for who I am…I am Clockwork, ghost-master of time."_

_"Ghost-master of time?" Curiosity got the better of me. I relaxed, staring quizzically at him._

_"Yes. I control all timelines, making sure everything is how it's supposed to be. I've had to interfere myself on a few special occasions."_

_"Really? When?" I asked, awed by this ghost who, to me, did not seem like he would attack any time soon._

_Clockwork made a non-committal grunt. "They all had to do with a certain boy…I believe you consider him a cousin?"_

_"Danny? He's met you? He's messed with time?" My playing with my newfound powers seemed much less mischievous: I'd thought I was going to be told off by the Master of Time himself for messing with time just seconds previously._

_"Oh, yes. I must say our first meeting went rather bad…he presumed I was evil, and at that time, I was playing such a part to make sure he secured a better timeline. We're on speaking terms, but only just."_

_"Are you here to punish me?" I whimpered, taking another step back._

_"The Observants wish me to do so. However, I will not. I have millenniums more experience than they do, and I am simply here to ask you to return to my realm in the Ghost Zone so I can help you train your powers." Clockwork pushed his hood back ever so slightly to reveal a blue face with red eyes and a black scar over the left. To make up for it all, however, was a caring, reassuring smile._

_I couldn't speak. A real residence of my own? I had never really had a home, minus Vlad's place, which was hardly to be considered a real one. Adrenaline and disbelief coursed through me. One look into that face and I instantly gave him my complete trust._

_"Of course I will."_

_"Excellent," responded Clockwork, his grin broadening. "If you will follow me, Danielle…"_

_He waved his staff, and another blue portal appeared, spinning once more into existence. Without hesitating, I jumped into the portal, with no thoughts but that my new home was a single leap away._

There was a deafening quiet in the room.

"Clockwork helped you?"

I nodded. "He's become… sort of my father figure now. One look at him and I knew instinctively I could believe him…though I assume I couldn't say the same for you."

Danny chuckled nervously, running his hands through his hair. "Yeah…our first meeting wasn't exactly a tea party."

I found myself laughing despite the circumstances. "But he's helped you."

"Yes, even though I didn't know it at first most of the time," Danny noted. "So if you went to live with Clockwork, why are you here now?"

I clenched my fist around the medallion, which I realized I'd been clinging to the entire story. "Clockwork gave me a mission."

"What mission?" "What's that you're holding?" the girl and Danny asked at the same moment.

Shaking with suppressed mirth, I responded, "I don't know much myself, to be honest. You know Clockwork: he's vague. I just know there's some kind of evil here I'm supposed to stop. As for this…" I held out the medallion for them to see more clearly.

The Goth stared at it. "It looks like a Time Medallion…"

"It's modified," I corrected, showing her where the CW of the Time Medallion would normally be. It was now replaced by the DP symbol. "It hides me from ghost scanners. Though if it really works, I have no idea how your ghost sense found me."

"You'd listened in a good five minutes before it did, though," Danny pointed out. "It delayed it at least."

"I guess," I sighed. "Clockwork's probably going to wring my neck for letting you find me, not to mention Valerie."

"Why can't we help you?" suggested the girl. "You'd stand a better chance." I gave her a look that clearly said do-you-underestimate-me-I-can-do-it-alone.

"In this case, the less people who know, the better," I corrected. "I still have no idea what I'm up against and I don't want anyone hurt because of it." I caught Danny's eye and winced with an apologetic smile. It was unnerving how, after all this time, the fact of me being a clone caught up with me on occasion. I still was as much like him as ever.

Danny laughed. "I know _I_ say that to people a lot, but I'm here to help you on this, Danielle. Has there ever been a pair of people more alike than us?"

"I suppose," I replied dryly. "You discuss it with Clockwork, see how he takes it."

"Whatever," responded Danny with a playful grin. "Just come to me if you ever need me, okay, cuz?"

"Deal," I agreed, giggling. I led the group to the door, bid them goodbye, and fell backwards onto my couch, wondering what else could possibly go wrong right now.

I didn't know the half of it.

_So there you have it. Danny, Sam, and Tucker know. I hated writing this scene, but I know it was the one you guys were waiting for. And Danielle has yet to discover what the evil is while she's caught up in all these other problems. Clockwork hasn't lectured her yet. SO MANY CLIFFIES..._

_ themasteroftime, I hope you enjoyed your flashback. It took sweat, blood, and tears, but it got done. Whew._

_Hopefully I won't leave you guys for so long next time. _

_~Cherry_


End file.
